Session "etiquette" revisited

Whistle
1

There’s something that’s bugging me in some sessions, and it’s the people who are always going to start tunes. Instead of having some respect for others, and giving some time to others to start a tune after a set, some people will just jump on any occasion to try to play their stuff, endlessly, until the session ends. My problem with this isnt that I want to play, as I think I’m being more clever by listening than rushing to play, but it’s a lack of respect, like someone smoking in your face, and it’s driving me mad.

Are these people selfish, self-centered, think they should play because they are the best, or just ignorant?

2

In the sessions I attend, usually nobody hogs the session, and everyone gets to do their thing. This is because there is good session leadership. If someone doesn’t comply with the session etiquette, they are told “Thanks for your participation. Goodbye!”

3

Geeze, that’s a good thing, I don’t think any session leader in here would have the guts to throw someone out or to tell him he’s out of line… but if one day I lead a session, I will!!!

4

Az,

You raise a good point. When does a session stop being a session, and become a one or two person show? The point of a session is of course to play music, but it’s also about friends, and friendliness towards each other as well as any who are listening.

Many of the sessions we have here in Salt Lake are frequented by ‘chatters’ meaning that they seem to come to talk, and not to play. Sometimes a musician will see a friend walk in/by and will put his/her instrument down in the middle of a set, get up and go talk to them for the next two hours. GEESH!

I will sometimes start a set or two, just to try and keep the momentum going, but usually, our sessions carry on well enough. They are like dates in a way - some not so good, some average and predictable, and some just knock your socks off!

If you can find a nice balance between music, the occasional chat, and plenty of Guinness, you’ll have the evening made. :slight_smile:

B~

5

Brian,

Yeah it’s true, there are those who come just for the social part of the session. I have less problem with them as with time you can make them understand that you’re not only there to chat, but to listen to the music and play…

But to make someone understand that he’s just playing too much, well, it’s hard not to hurt is feelings in the process…

6

On 2002-09-30 21:16, Azalin wrote:
Geeze, that’s a good thing, I don’t think any session leader in here would have the guts to throw someone out or to tell him he’s out of line… but if one day I lead a session, I will!!!

In my experience, senior session players telling junior players they’re out of line happens more than you’d think. (By “senior”, I mean the alpha players, not the old ones!) But a good session “leader” takes someone aside afterwards and says “Gee, y’know, maybe it’s time to put the clarinet down and go back to the whistle for a bit”, so if you’re not the one being suggested at, you don’t know it happens.

    -Rich
7

Rich,

Are you saying that there’s actually people playing the clarinet in a session? I have seen recorder, but a clarinet? Geeze…

[ This Message was edited by: Azalin on 2002-09-30 23:47 ]

8

Rich, do you know if this happens over in Irelad as well then? I suppose it would really, but it just doesn’t seem in keeping with the feeling of a session to me.

I’ve been to them all over the country here, and while some have been of a more “proffessional” nature, there weren’t any I encountered that I would judge as particularly hostile to new/inexperienced players.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky and found all the ones with easy-going, and understanding leaders? Ours here in Salt Lake doesn’t have a designated leader, but we do have regular players. We readily encourage new players to join in, and sit in the circle, even if all they feel comfortable doing is just listening.

It seems that most all of us can throw out a tune, and if there’s someone who doesn’t care for it, or it’s been played into the dirt, we’ll jokingly shoot it down, and move on to something else. It’s all tremendous fun really.

I’ve heard of some sessions that were ultra-stuffy. I think it was Teri K. who once told me of a session in Seattle, where they actually posted a written rule list on the door before anyone even sits down to play.

In my mind, that’s precisely the sort of thing I would avoid. I think I’d rather play outside by myself than join in a group that seemed so hard nosed. I know there are those here who might jump on me now, and offer lengthy discourses as to why that sort of thing is prudent.

As for me, I’m going to look for the smaller, quiet and out of the way groups that play for the joy of the music; not to put on a mini-concert. I don’t need to get payed to play - I do it because I like doing it. Just like Dale breeding Gorillas. You sure don’t do it for the smell!! :wink:

Am I making any sense here?

B~

9

Azalin, yes, there are people playing clarinet in sessions. It really doesn’t sound too bad if it’s played well.

Arto

10

On 2002-09-30 20:14, Azalin wrote:
There’s something that’s bugging me in some sessions, and it’s the people who are always going to start tunes. Instead of having some respect for others, and giving some time to others to start a tune after a set, some people will just jump on any occasion to try to play their stuff, endlessly, until the session ends. My problem with this isnt that I want to play, as I think I’m being more clever by listening than rushing to play, but it’s a lack of respect, like someone smoking in your face, and it’s driving me mad.

Are these people selfish, self-centered, think they should play because they are the best, or just ignorant?

Man, this describes our accordian player to a T…if there’s a few seconds lull, he’ll start something. it makes everyone at session jumpy, because if they don’t slip in during that brief time, he just monopolizes the session. I wish I understood the motivation myself.

11

Greg, what would happen if your session folks just let him solo? If you all just sat and stared at him when he did this, would he get the point? :laughing:

12

You know what? I think that if we did that, they would even get worse, as they would think that we’re staring in admiration. I think the bad side of human nature is present anywhere, even in sessions…

13

Az is right…
And the bad part is this guy likes to play tunes he knows nobody else knows. It’s nice to introduce new music to the session..absolutely! But watching a one-man accordian performance of a string of 7 reels tied together (which added up to nearly 15 minutes of music!) that nobody else knows is a bit excessive.

14

Wandering,

Yeah I’ve got the exact same feeling as yours about this type of player. For me, a session is a place where you share music, where you’re trying to have a chemistry between the players and have good complicity. But then you always have someone who’s coming down to show off, doesnt give a darn about if others know his tunes or not, and doesnt mind playing by himself for over 15 minutes.

Well, there was a concertina player who was like that in Lisdoorvana in Ireland, and others didnt really appreciate him, so this stuff is universal.

If one day I lead a session, I will make sure that everyone gets a chance to play, and that no one is rushing the session. Another reason why I should practice hard! :slight_smile:

15

On 2002-10-01 10:17, Azalin wrote:
You know what? I think that if we did that, they would even get worse, as they would think that we’re staring in admiration. I think the bad side of human nature is present anywhere, even in sessions…

I went to one of those session etiquette meetings during Irish week at Augusta once. Someone summed it all up (I think it was Jack Coen) by saying “Ah, well, it’s all a very egotistical business”. It’s not always that way, of course, but sometimes it is. Our local thorn in the butt has destroyed two sessions here. Nobody will go if he’s there and he’s always there. Not only does he do what Azalin describes but when he plays his time is so bad you can’t tell if he’s playing a reel, a jig or bebop. If people just stared at him he would think it was with unbounded admiration.

Steve

16

…I’ve been accompanied by a bodhrán player who’d taken speed.
By the end of the second tune he was standing right beside me, half bent so that the side of his face was an inch or two away from mine, drumming away like he was trying to get a fire lit with the sparks…

People stopped playing when he was there…even slow airs!!!

Boyd
http://www.strathspeyinmay.com


“better to have your music in the comfort of your own home…”

17

Seems to me there are two sorts of people we’re talking about here:

  1. The experienced session player who’s just being a tune hog. This guy starts those long chains of tunes nobody knows.

  2. The less-experienced player who doesn’t quite get the whole session idea properly and is determined to do his thing. This guy is continually jumping in with sets of one or maybe two tunes that everyone knows and is already sick of because he starts them every single time he’s there. (Playing them badly is a common option, but I’ve heard guys who could play the tunes still do this.)

But who am I to talk? I’m the guy who doesn’t start tunes that often (in a crowd, anyway), but invariably starts them at a very quick tempo.

18

Here’s some info on Session Etiquette.

http://www.c7r.com/sessionbook/etiquette.html

19

What happens in a session, or any group of friends, is partially up to what the group allows. It good to have some flexibility. For example, a friend, Jack, show’s up, looks haggard, blasts his way through 3 or 4 sets (12 tunes) with little more than a breath or two between sets, and … one of us smart-alecs is probably going to comment “Jack, glad you got that out of your system, we don’t need to hear the details of YOUR day! You need a Guiness!” follow by “Tom you know that air you played on someday, let’s hear that again.” Which is meant to imply, “Jack you had a nasty day, needed to dump a load, you did so sit back and relax with the rest us.”

My point here is that even with give and take somtimes things get a little stretched. When it happens,rather than trying to muscle in on the speed demon, tune hog; you can invite another player in to share a tune.
It says “this session is for everyone, not just you or me”.

It seems to me, when you have good leaders, (and yes I think it’s always better if you have more than 1 or 2,) that share; then, everyone has fun. When they take the time to invite the newer, less talented, less accomplished players to share a tune, or at least pick a tune; then, it becomes more about the music between folks and not some competition or performance.

Session are like a party where people talk primarily in music, instead of english. Yep, as night wears on there are roudy jiggy moments, maybe a short scuffle with an arcane tune or two, as well as the quiet musing sitting around an air, or the general passing of the days events in reels or jig, with the occasional song to loosen the wind pipe, and a lament that closing time’s too soon. To me, thats part of the magic, never quite the same, always human, and hopefully humane, well … Okay, Okay, Okaaaay, humane to every one but whats-his-name-the-bodhran-player-on-speed.
But if the other newbie, that know’s 3 tunes, is invited to play one, he’ll think he’s gone to heaven. Thats what session is like at its best, a little bit of heaven getting spread around. For the leaders, isn’t it nice to know that you made a little more heaven?

In the end sharing with each and all the folks attending is just how you …

20

Follow-up:
Thanks for bringing this topic up. It put to mind how much fun the session at Sean Donlons in Annapolis (100 block of West Street) was the last time I made it down. hmmmm Tuesdays from 8-12, I need some of that tonight! If you’re in the neighborhood stop in.

I probably would have procrastinated away another night when I could be enjoying my music. Thanks for the topic and may you all …